My Professional Home December 9, 2021 by Lisa Block The last two years have been a wild, scary and sometimes exhilarating ride for many in our industry. Having attended several in-person shows and events this fall, I am bullish on a healthy return for events and the people who run and support them. I am also excited to kick-start 2022 by attending PCMA’s Convening … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adult learning, Convening Leaders 2021, Education, networking, PCMA
My Turbulent Love Affair With Digital-Event Networking May 3, 2021 by Sarah Michel I have been a loyal and passionate disciple of networking for all of my adult life. I have spent decades learning, speaking and writing about it. Yet when our world was turned upside down last March, and all meaningful connection with everyone was forced into a digital world, I suddenly felt like I lost my … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , digital conferences, hybrid conferences, networking, networking online, virtual conferences, virtual networking
Key Takeaways from PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2020 January 21, 2020 by Lisa Block The Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders in San Francisco In early January served as an engaging and energizing way to kick off a new year and a new decade. I’ve been a regular attendee and active volunteer in PCMA for over 25 years and continue to be impressed at their willingness to take risks … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , central hub, central zone, Convening Leaders, finding your tribe, networking, PCMA, Professional Convention Management Association
Conferences Need More Sharing April 26, 2018 by Dave Lutz One of the strongest intangible attributes of a healthy conference is how much sharing takes place. Too often, competition and self-interest get in the way of sharing what’s most helpful. Professions that deliver conference sessions with a high level of sharing – not diluted or generalized from the stage – are often in fields linked … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Conference Networking Tagged With: , interactivity, networking, participatory learning, small-group conversations, speaker coaching
The Crisis of Connection February 2, 2018 by Sarah Michel We’re lonely. And not just a little lonely. We’re experiencing a global epidemic level of loneliness. Last week, the U.K. appointed Tracey Crouch as the Minister of Loneliness after the British parliament released a five-year study on loneliness that found more than 9 million people in the country reported they often or always feel lonely. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , association insights, attendance marketing, conference planning, connexity, cultivating connection, epidemic of loneliness, face-to-face connection, networking, radical hospitality.
Your Conference Needs To Focus On Providing 4D Experiences September 12, 2016 by Jeff Hurt Conferences need 4D experiences: deep learning, deep play, deep reflection and deep connections. You probably recall a time in your life when you viewed a 3D movie. You wore 3D glasses and the images looked like they popped out of the screen. Your conference needs more than the gimmick of 3D glasses. It needs authentic … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design Tagged With: , 4Ds conference experience, adult learning principles, conference experience, deep connections, deep learning, deep play, deep reflection, networking, reflection
How Conference Networking Improves Participants’ Brain Health [Webinar May 11] May 6, 2016 by Sarah Michel Brain science research continues to prove that our brains function best when we’re engaged in meaningful We-centric conversations. We are a highly social species. This research illustrates our need to design conferences that promote deeper and more meaningful conversations, especially in our networking. These We-centric conversations, as organizational anthropologist and author Judith Glaser states, move … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , community, conference best practices, connexity, conversational intelligence, engagement, event website, I-centric, levels of conversations, networking, We-Centric
Disrupting Our Own Conference Learning Models [Webinar] March 2, 2016 by Jeff Hurt The demands of our 21st Century conference participants mandate that we change our traditional event experience. Today’s workforce requires that our participants interact, think and work in collaborative ways. Yet our conferences persistently promote expert-directed, one-way passive monologues and panel dialogues. Our conferences continue to resemble the routines of the 19th and 20th century school. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , adult learning, conference best practices, conference education, conference learning model, networking, peer-based learning, peer-to-peer, peerology, webinar
Innovators Network Differently November 13, 2015 by Dave Lutz After studying a whole bunch of professional conferences, it’s very clear to me what separates a thriving event from one on life support. For multi-day conferences, a growing number register and return because of who else will be there. Our attendees have more choices than ever for professional development and acquiring purchasing intelligence. Today, it’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Networking, Experience Design Tagged With: , active participation, conference best practices, engagement, Innovation, innovators, networking
The Future Conference Is About Increasing Attendees’ ROI September 3, 2015 by Jeff Hurt The future conference is not about the environment, the furniture, the venue, the audio visual or the technology. The future conference is about increasing the paying attendee’s ROI. The future conference is about helping the attendee transfer and apply their conference learning to their job. Actually, the fundamental job of future conferences is threefold: To … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , adult learning, adult learning strategies, conferences, connexity, interactive, meeting planning best practices, networking, passive listening, presentation strategies, speaker
